Why sail your multimillion dollar yacht to the Caribbean when you can load it onto a huge 685-foot ship to take if for you?

Spring means it's time for every self-respecting luxury yacht owner to abandon the French Riviera and head to the blue waters of the Caribbean where more fun an sun awaits at St. Thomas and the Bahamas.

But the voyage across the Atlantic Ocean can take an arduous three weeks, even for the most well-appointed super yachts. And transoceanic travel wears on a vessel, meaning it will likely need a new paint job and repairs when it arrives.

A rapidly-growing industry will load that massive, expensive boat onto an ever more massive boat and ship it across the Atlantic - or anywhere else, for that matter.

Impressive: The Dockwise Yacht Express is seen leaving Fort Lauderdale, Florida loaded down with $154million worth of luxury yachts

Precious cargo: The yachts are carefully packed aboard the Yacht Express and tied down - allowing for safe voyages across the ocean

Float on, float off: The deck of the Yacht Express is semi-submersible, meaning that yachts simply have to float onto board and then are tied into position

The cost? Just $175,000. In only ten days, the yacht will arrive, none the worse for the wear - allowing the owner to jet into the new yacht club and continue sailing.

Numerous companies offer yacht shipping, but the king of the transoceanic boat voyage is the Dockwise Yacht Express.

The 687-foot behemoth was built specifically for shipping yachts, sailboats, powerboats and any other private craft across oceans for owners who can't be bothered to sail themselves.

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The ship has a semi-submersible deck that allows the yachts to simple float on and be secured - no dangerous cranes involved.

Docking: The ships are carefully guided into the three lanes aboard the Yacht Express and then tied down

Trained divers make sure the yachts are secured to the deck of the Yacht Express

An estimated 4,000 yachts are transported by boat every year, according to industry estimates.

'For a lot of owners, time is of the essence,' Catalina Bujor, a spokeswoman for Dockwise - the biggest player in the industry, toldCNBC.

The concept of yacht shipping isn't new. Dockwise itself owns two other shipping vessels with semi-submersible decks. But the company believes it has perfected the art with Yacht Express.

The command bridge sits 92 feet above the waterline. Its crew of two dozen experienced sailors ensure that every yacht makes it across the ocean safely.

Well-appointed: The cabin of the Yacht Express boasts luxury amenities, including this fully-stocked bar - and the cabins are only meant to cater to the yacht crews

The company offers accommodation for one crew member from each vessel being shipped. Conditions on board aren't so far from the luxury yachts the Yacht Express is carrying.

On-board amenities include: complimentary cabins, an atrium with a lounge bar and swimming pool, a restaurant and a cinema, as well as conference, media and fitness facilities.

When the ship launched, John Walsey, a San Francisco real estate tycoon joked to Dockwise that he was so impressed with the facilities inside the Yacht Express that he might ride back across the Atlantic with his 121-foot Broward yacht.

'Or maybe I should just charge my crew members for the ride, since this is like being on a cruise ship,' he said.